Elders devotions: Missing the Point - Mark 15:31

Bible Passage: Mark 15:25-32

Key verse:      Mark 15:31     In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can't save himself !”

I cannot begin to imagine both the humiliation and hurt that Jesus must have felt as His own people hurled insults and mocked Him. Their words and curses must have felt like rocks and stones violently impacting His heart and soul. The physical pain of crucifixion must have been awful, but the mental torment and spiritual agony that He also endured must have been absolutely sickening.

Jesus had spent three years helping and healing His people. He taught them about God’s love and mercy. He preached to them about changing their ways and receiving abundant life. His message was challenging and radical, but His mission was about redemption and restoration. Unfortunately, His people missed the point, so instead of embracing Him, they executed their Christ.

Sadly, this is still going on in Christ’s churches today. Some of His own people will miss the point by making up their own ideas about who He was, and of what Jesus does in the world today. Even with so much information about Christ, His life, people, and community freely available to us today, there will still be those who will mock Him with their misconceptions and insult Jesus with their ideas. Holy Week will come and go, but they will not be one step closer to Christ because they will have missed the point of His Passion entirely.

Questions for personal reflection

How has Christ’s death affected my life? What has He done to challenge and change me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, the point of Your Passion is at the heart of why we are Christians. You died for our sins, so we must come humbly to You to ask for mercy and forgiveness. Sometimes our pride gets in the way, or we take Your grace for granted. Help us to make this week holy in our lives by taking time to serve, honor, and glorify You for all that You accomplished on the Cross. In Your Sacred Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is John’s latest Holy week drawing called “Christ Nouveau.” It’s a depiction of Christ Crucified in the style of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the great Scottish artist who inspired Frank Lloyd Wright. If you would like to view a larger version of the image, please click here:

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5072/6897826374_c074c38fbc_b.jpg

Elders devotions: Chosen Servant - Isaiah 42:1-9

Today’s Bible readings are Isaiah 42:1-9 and Matthew 21:1-11

Isaiah 42:1 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on Him and He will bring justice to the nations.”

Last night, at our church’s midweek Bible study, we began using some of the material that has been produced by the World Council of Churches for this year’s Christian Unity week. Much of the material has been written by Polish Christians and their theme for this year is ‘Change through Victory.’

Polish Christians have endured a lot of hardship over the last three centuries. Their land has been invaded and taken over many times by their enemies. Through all of the pain and suffering, powerlessness and oppression that the Poles experienced, the Church has still managed to keep faith alive in the hearts and minds of many Polish people.

The initial focus for the study begins with a look at Christ’s role as Servant. Time and time again in the Gospels, Jesus remarks that He came to serve God in the world and not to be served. In fact, today’s prophecy from Isaiah 42 was fulfilled by Christ centuries after it was written. Jesus was, is, and always shall be God’s Chosen Servant, in whom God delights and through whom justice will at last be brought to the nations of the world.

The Polish writers of the study see the role of the Church as being the Chosen Servant of Christ and that all of our programs and ministries, congregations and missions are meant to be the serving vehicles of Christ’s presence in the world. One day, we will gather together in Heaven as one complete body devoid of denominations and divisions, whose only identity will be that of everlasting servants of Christ.

Question for reflection (taken from the study):         In our community, what can Christians of different traditions do better together than in isolation to reveal the Servant Christ?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You served God completely by perfectly living Your Life, and by obediently sacrificing Yourself for our sins. We can never repay the debt that we owe, but we can rejoice in You by serving You both in this world and in the life yet to come. In Your Holy Name, we thankfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

You can also read this year’s Christian unity material here.

Today’s image is John’s latest drawing called ‘Celtic Spring.’ It’s a stained glass design for a modern Celtic Cross featuring all the colors of a Scottish Spring. Signed limited edition prints are available. You can also view a larger version of the drawing at the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6717914679_f9d8753e34_b.jpg

Elders Devotions: Praying for Peace - Isaiah 19:24

Today’s Bible readings are: Isaiah 19:18-25 and Matthew 8:1-4

Isaiah 19:25                The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance."

For as long as I can remember, peace in the Middle East has been the goal of every Western political leader, as well as of the United Nations General Assembly. The wars between Egypt, Israel and Syria have been going on for thousands of years. The major disruptions that have occurred in that troubled region affect the well-being of the whole world. But no matter what political deals or mandates from the United Nations are made, without God’s blessing they will never be sustained or bear any fruit.

I’m intrigued when I read the prophecies of Isaiah that were written over 2,500 years ago. They could have been spoken this morning and gone to press this afternoon. The Biblical truth is that there will always be divisions in that area of the world until God finally resolves the problem. In the same chapter of Isaiah, the prophet writes about God sending a Savior and Defender to rescue all of the people from that area – Egyptians, Israelites, and Assyrians. As Christians, we know Who that Savior and Defender is: Jesus Christ, the Holy Son of God.

This also means that we, as Christians, should be constantly praying for peace in the Middle East by the conversion of all the people in that area to Christianity. If Christ has to become their Savior and Defender, then they will have to know Who He is and what He can do for them. For almost two thousand years, Christian churches, monasteries, and congregations have existed in those regions. It’s time that we supported them with our prayers, asking God for an almighty movement of the Holy Spirit to sweep over the region, in order to open the heart, minds, and souls of all the people to the life, work, teaching, and ministry of Christ.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, our world and its leaders are constantly seeking ways to bring about a lasting peace in the Middle East. Although their aspirations and work is important, we know that within our hearts that only Your Presence can truly affect the whole region. We ask You, as the Prince of Peace, to send forth Your Holy Spirit among the churches of that area. Enable and empower them to promote Your teaching and to expand their faithful communities so that salvation, peace, and faith may be rediscovered by all Middle Easterners. In Your Holy Name, we earnestly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message or ask a question, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s psalm drawings. It comes from Psalm 80. If you would like to view a larger version online, then please click on the following link: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3312/3615925254_87ab8df8b0_b.jpg